Froodite
A valid IMA mineral species - grandfathered
This page is currently not sponsored. Click here to sponsor this page.
About Froodite
Formula:
α-PdBi2
Colour:
Grey
Lustre:
Metallic
Hardness:
2½
Specific Gravity:
12.05 - 12.6
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Name:
For the type locality.
Chemically related to 'UM1961-03-Bi:Pd' and 'UM1968-01-Bi:Pd'.
The phase transition in structure of the PdBi2 compound has been studied using high-temperature in-situ methods (differential thermal analysis and high-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction). The structures of PdBi2 polymorphic modifications are refined at temperatures of 300, 373, 473, 573, and 637 K based on high-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. A low-temperature modification of α-PdBi2 corresponding to froodite occurs in a temperature range from 300K (27°C) to 573K (300°С) and is characterized by monoclinic syngony, space group C2/m (a = 12.726(1) Å, b = 4.2605(4) Å, c = 5.5668(5) Å, β = 102.51(1)°, V = 299.95(5) Å3, Z = 2). A high-temperature modification of β-PdBi2, which is registered at a temperature of 673K (400°C), has tetragonal syngony and space group I4/mmm (a = 3.3876(3) Å, c = 13.092(2) Å, V = 150.24(4) Å3, Z = 1) and is a structural analog of urvantsevite. The phase transition is referred to as type I and is a reconstructive polymorphic transformation with the rearrangement of the first coordination sphere.
The phase transition in structure of the PdBi2 compound has been studied using high-temperature in-situ methods (differential thermal analysis and high-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction). The structures of PdBi2 polymorphic modifications are refined at temperatures of 300, 373, 473, 573, and 637 K based on high-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. A low-temperature modification of α-PdBi2 corresponding to froodite occurs in a temperature range from 300K (27°C) to 573K (300°С) and is characterized by monoclinic syngony, space group C2/m (a = 12.726(1) Å, b = 4.2605(4) Å, c = 5.5668(5) Å, β = 102.51(1)°, V = 299.95(5) Å3, Z = 2). A high-temperature modification of β-PdBi2, which is registered at a temperature of 673K (400°C), has tetragonal syngony and space group I4/mmm (a = 3.3876(3) Å, c = 13.092(2) Å, V = 150.24(4) Å3, Z = 1) and is a structural analog of urvantsevite. The phase transition is referred to as type I and is a reconstructive polymorphic transformation with the rearrangement of the first coordination sphere.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
1615
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:1615:1
Similar Names
IMA Classification of Froodite
Approved, 'Grandfathered' (first described prior to 1959)
IMA Formula:
PdBi2
Classification of Froodite
2.AC.45a
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
A : Alloys
C : Alloys of metalloids with PGE
2 : SULFIDES and SULFOSALTS (sulfides, selenides, tellurides; arsenides, antimonides, bismuthides; sulfarsenites, sulfantimonites, sulfbismuthites, etc.)
A : Alloys
C : Alloys of metalloids with PGE
2.12.15.1
2 : SULFIDES
12 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 1:2
2 : SULFIDES
12 : AmBnXp, with (m+n):p = 1:2
3.12.41
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
12 : Sulphides etc. of the platinum metals
3 : Sulphides, Selenides, Tellurides, Arsenides and Bismuthides (except the arsenides, antimonides and bismuthides of Cu, Ag and Au, which are included in Section 1)
12 : Sulphides etc. of the platinum metals
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
Please only use the official IMA–CNMNC symbol. Older variants are listed for historical use only.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Fro | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
| Fro | The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) | The Canadian Mineralogist (2019) The Canadian Mineralogist list of symbols for rock- and ore-forming minerals (December 30, 2019). download |
Physical Properties of Froodite
Metallic
Transparency:
Opaque
Comment:
Quite reflective giving a silvery white reflection; splendent on fresh cleavage, tarnishes quickly;
Colour:
Grey
Streak:
Black
Hardness:
2½ on Mohs scale
Hardness:
VHN25=84 kg/mm2 - Vickers
Tenacity:
Brittle
Cleavage:
Perfect
Perfect on {100}
less perfect on {001}
Perfect on {100}
less perfect on {001}
Fracture:
Irregular/Uneven
Density:
12.05 - 12.6 g/cm3 (Measured) 11.42 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Comment:
Synthetic - 11.5
Optical Data of Froodite
Anisotropism:
Light and dark grays
Reflectivity:
| Wavelength | R1 (%) | R2 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 420nm | 50.7% | 52.9% |
| 440nm | 51.9% | 54.3% |
| 460nm | 53.1% | 55.5% |
| 480nm | 54.3% | 56.4% |
| 500nm | 55.2% | 57.2% |
| 520nm | 55.7% | 57.8% |
| 540nm | 56.1% | 58.4% |
| 560nm | 56.5% | 59.0% |
| 580nm | 56.9% | 59.6% |
| 600nm | 57.4% | 60.2% |
| 620nm | 57.7% | 60.7% |
| 640nm | 58.0% | 61.1% |
| 660nm | 58.5% | 61.4% |
| 680nm | 58.8% | 62.0% |
| 700nm | 59.3% | 63.0% |
Graph shows reflectance levels at different wavelengths (in nm). Peak reflectance is 63.0%.
R1 shown in black, R2 shown in red
Colour in reflected light:
Creamy white
Chemistry of Froodite
Mindat Formula:
α-PdBi2
Elements listed:
Common Impurities:
Te
Crystallography of Froodite
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Class (H-M):
2/m - Prismatic
Space Group:
B2/m
Setting:
C2/m
Cell Parameters:
a = 12.74 Å, b = 4.29 Å, c = 5.71 Å
β = 102.52°
β = 102.52°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 2.97 : 1 : 1.331
Unit Cell V:
304.66 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
4
Morphology:
Rounded grains
Twinning:
Sometimes
Crystal Structure
Load
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
Show
Big Balls | Small Balls | Just Balls | Spacefill
Polyhedra Off | Si Polyhedra | All Polyhedra
Remove metal-metal sticks
Big Balls | Small Balls | Just Balls | Spacefill
Polyhedra Off | Si Polyhedra | All Polyhedra
Remove metal-metal sticks
Display Options
Black Background | White Background
Perspective On | Perspective Off
2D | Stereo | Red-Blue | Red-Cyan
Black Background | White Background
Perspective On | Perspective Off
2D | Stereo | Red-Blue | Red-Cyan
View
CIF File Best | x | y | z | a | b | c
CIF File Best | x | y | z | a | b | c
Rotation
Stop | Start
Stop | Start
Labels
Console Off | On | Grey | Yellow
Console Off | On | Grey | Yellow
Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0015531 | Froodite | Zhuravlev N N (1957) Structure of superconductors. X. Thermal, microscopic and x-ray investigation of the bismuth-palladium system Soviet Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics 5 1064-1072 | 1957 | synthetic | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 2.77 Å | (100) |
| 1.556 Å | (80) |
| 2.97 Å | (70) |
| 2.48 Å | (70) |
| 2.21 Å | (70) |
| 1.637 Å | (60) |
| 1.419 Å | (60) |
| 2.14 Å | (50) |
| 2.09 Å | (50) |
Comments:
Frood mine, Canada. Data from the type description.
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| High-? alteration and/or metamorphism | |
| 33 : Minerals deposited by hydrothermal metal-rich fluids (see also [#12]) | |
| Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks | >3.0 |
| 37 : Layered igneous intrusions and related PGE minerals |
Type Occurrence of Froodite
General Appearance of Type Material:
Flat cleavage fragments and rounded grains
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Harvard University. The cleavage fragment is not available for
further study.
further study.
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Sudbury intrusive
Other Language Names for Froodite
Relationship of Froodite to other Species
Structurally related to group(s):
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 29 photos of Froodite associated with Galena | PbS |
| 27 photos of Froodite associated with Altaite | PbTe |
| 24 photos of Froodite associated with Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| 16 photos of Froodite associated with Pentlandite | (NixFey)Σ9S8 |
| 13 photos of Froodite associated with Pyrrhotite | Fe1-xS |
| 13 photos of Froodite associated with Paolovite | Pd2Sn |
| 11 photos of Froodite associated with Geversite | PtSb2 |
| 11 photos of Froodite associated with Native Silver | Ag |
| 10 photos of Froodite associated with Maslovite | PtBiTe |
| 10 photos of Froodite associated with Breithauptite | NiSb |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 2.AC. | Vadlazarenkovite | Pd8Bi1.5Te1.25As0.25 |
| 2.AC. | Törnroosite | Pd11As2Te2 |
| 2.AC.05b | Vincentite | Pd3As |
| 2.AC.05a | Atheneite | Pd2As0.75Hg0.25 |
| 2.AC.10c | Arsenopalladinite | Pd8(As,Sb)3 |
| 2.AC.10b | Mertieite | Pd8Sb2.5As0.5 |
| 2.AC.10a | Stillwaterite | Pd8As3 |
| 2.AC.15a | Isomertieite | Pd11Sb2As2 |
| 2.AC.15a | Miessiite | Pd11Te2Se2 |
| 2.AC.15b | Pseudomertieite | Pd11(Sb,As)4 |
| 2.AC.20c | Menshikovite | Pd3Ni2As3 |
| 2.AC.20a | Stibiopalladinite | Pd5Sb2 |
| 2.AC.20b | Palarstanide | Pd5(Sn,As)2 |
| 2.AC.25c | Palladodymite | (Pd,Rh)2As |
| 2.AC.25d | Naldrettite | Pd2Sb |
| 2.AC.25b | Rhodarsenide | (Rh,Pd)2As |
| 2.AC.25e | Majakite | PdNiAs |
| 2.AC.25a | Palladoarsenide | Pd2As |
| 2.AC.25f | Palladobismutharsenide | Pd2(As,Bi) |
| 2.AC.30 | 'UM1999-02-As:NiRh' | (Rh,Ni)7As4 |
| 2.AC.30 | Polkanovite | Rh12As7 |
| 2.AC.35b | Ungavaite | Pd4Sb3 |
| 2.AC.35a | Genkinite | Pt4Sb3 |
| 2.AC.40 | Polarite | Pd(Bi,Pb) |
| 2.AC.50 | Viteite | Pd5InAs |
| 2.AC.50 | Nipalarsite | Ni8Pd3As4 |
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Froodite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-1615.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
Search Engines:
External Links:
Mineral Dealers:
References for Froodite
Reference List:
Hawley, James Edwin; Berry, Leonard Gascoigne (1958) Michenerite and froodite, palladium bismuthide minerals [Ontario]. The Canadian Mineralogist, 6 (2). 200-209
Evstigneeva, Tatiana, Tarkian, Mahmud (1996) Synthesis of platinum-group minerals under hydrothermal conditions. European Journal of Mineralogy, 8 (3) 549-564 doi:10.1127/ejm/8/3/0549
Vavřín, I., Frýda, J. (1998) Michenerite PdBiTe and froodite PdBi2 from the Cu-Ni mineralization in the Ransko massif, Czech Republic. Mineralogy and Petrology, 63 (1) 141-146 doi:10.1007/bf01162772
[1]Karimova, O. V.; Eremin, N. N.; Mezhueva, A. A.; Uporova, N. S.; Zolotarev, A. A.; Chareev, D. A. (2025) Structural Transformations and Froodite (α-PdBi2)–Urvantsevite (β-PdBi2) Phase Transition at High Temperatures. Moscow University Geology Bulletin, 80 (2). 199-205 doi:10.3103/s0145875225700310
Localities for Froodite
Showing 94 localities.
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Antarctica | |
| Takahashi et al. (2020) |
Australia | |
| Ma et al. (2023) |
Brazil | |
| Knight (2014) |
| Sá et al. (2005) |
Canada | |
| Manor |
| Mineralogical Society of America - ... |
| Canadian Mineralogist 45 +1 other reference |
| Vale SA |
| Campos-Alvarez et al. (2012) |
| Ames et al. (2003) |
| Ames et al. (2003) |
| Mineralogical Society of America - ... +1 other reference |
| ontariominerals.com +1 other reference |
| Vale SA |
| Warren (2013) | |
| Ames et al. (2003) | |
| Vale SA | |
| Ames et al. (2003) +1 other reference | |
| Ames et al. (2003) | |
| Springer (1989) +1 other reference | |
| Springer (1989) | |
| Ames et al. (2003) |
| Ames et al. (2003) |
| Hawley et al. (1958) +2 other references |
| N Farhangi |
| N. T. Pettigrew et al. (2000) |
| Ames et al. (2003) |
| 157-158. +1 other reference | |
| McDonald et al. (2015) |
| Selway (1993) | |
| Good et al. (2017) |
| Charles Normand (2016) |
| 5th International Platinum Symposium ... +2 other references |
China | |
| Yang +7 other references |
| Wei et al. (2023) |
| Wang et al. (2006) |
Czech Republic | |
| Vavřín +3 other references |
| Ackerman et al. (2025) | |
Egypt | |
| Helmy et al. (1995) |
Finland | |
| Kojonen et al. (eds) |
| Mutanen (1997) |
| Kojonen et al. (2004) |
Gabon | |
| Utsunomiya et al. (2006) |
Germany | |
| Sandmann et al. (2015) |
Greenland | |
| Andersen et al. (2017) |
Kazakhstan | |
| Prokopyev et al. (2010) |
Portugal | |
| Dias et al. (2006) |
Russia | |
| Konev et al. (1993) |
| Orsoev (2019) +1 other reference |
| Spiridonov et al. (2019, April) | |
| Kislov +2 other references | |
| Rakhimov et al. (2021) |
| Shvedov et al. (2017) +1 other reference |
| Kolotilina et al. (2025) | |
| Lennikov et al. (2004) |
| Alexander V. Dedeev et al (2002) +1 other reference |
| v. 42 +3 other references |
| February 2009 +3 other references | |
| Anthony et al. (1990) +2 other references | |
| Pekov (1998) +1 other reference | |
| 2014 Ultramafic-mafic intrusions | |
| Shvedov et al. (2015) |
| Groshev +7 other references |
| 33rd International Geological Congress (2008) | |
| Neradovskii et al. (1982) +1 other reference | |
| Chashchin et al. (2018) |
| Yury L. Voytekhovsky (2008) | |
| Serov et al. (2024) |
| Grokhovskaya et al. (2005) |
| Grishaenko et al. (2007) |
| American Mineralogist +4 other references |
| American Mineralogist: 85: 199. +1 other reference |
| Mikhailov et al. (2021) |
| Murzin et al. (2022) |
| Seltmann et al. (2010) |
South Africa | |
| Tischler et al. (1981) +1 other reference |
| McCreesh et al. (2018) |
| Nikolay Rudashevsky et al (2001) |
| Hutchinson et al. (2005) |
| Van der Merwe (2011) +1 other reference | |
| Holwell et al. (2007) |
| Holwell et al. (2006) +1 other reference | |
| Frits van der Merwe (2012) | |
| Hutchinson et al. (2005) | |
| Kinloch et al. (1990) +1 other reference |
Switzerland | |
| Stalder et al. (1998) |
UK | |
| McKervey et al. (2007) |
| Power et al. (2004) |
Uruguay | |
| Prichard et al. (2004) |
USA | |
| Anthony et al. (1990) |
| - (1998) |
| McSwiggen (1999) +1 other reference | |
Vietnam | |
| Svetlitskaya et al. (2015) |
| Wang et al. (2023) |
Quick NavTopAbout FrooditeUnique IdentifiersSimilar NamesIMA Classification Classification Mineral SymbolsPhysical Properties Optical Data Chemistry Crystallography Crystal StructureX-Ray Powder DiffractionGeological EnvironmentType Occurrence Other LanguagesRelationshipsCommon AssociatesStrunz-MindatOther InformationInternet Links References Localities Locality List
Vermilion Mine, Denison Township, Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada